Angel
by BobFrapples49
Summary: When Trigon comes to Earth, nothing will ever be the same, especially for Raven and Robin. Christian AU fic. Set during "The End". Rated T because Control Freak is a perv.


I was thinking about Teen Titans, and the events of "The End". Raven is a half demon, right? Raven never chose to fall, unlike all other demons. I know that there are a number of stories about Raven's spiritual journey, but I think that this is unique enough to be worth posting. This is highly Christian in nature, and I believe that it adequately resolves some conflict between the show/comic and the real world. BTW, note the reference to Elijah on the mountain. Anyway, here is my AU idea of what might have happened after Trigon opened the portal and destroyed the earth. This takes place right after Trigon creates the clones for the other three Titans to battle. ~BobFrapples49

Robin gently set me down in the warm remains of the building. We had traveled all they way from the ruined church where he found me, to another church, the most intact building we could find, thank goodness above the surface. I had clung to him for dear life, as we climbed over raging flows of lava and dropped through hoards of my father's soldiers, those soulless burning slaves of rage. As he set me down, I finally allowed my tears to flow once more.

"Why did we stop", I asked, the fragment of my memory recoiling at the terribly weak and childish sound of my voice.

"We're both too tired to go fight Trigon right now," Robin replied. "I know that I don't have a chance unless I catch my breath.

I hugged my knees to my torso, gently squeezing as if to keep the life from draining out of me. My head bowed, I felt my cloak dampen in the humid air from the few tears I could find within me to cry. Feeling his stare, I looked up to his eyes, his gaze dully bounced off me, while still piercing.

"You know, some people say that demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God," He offered. "You could have been half angel, instead of half demon."

I raised an eyebrow at his attempt to reach out to me, but hearing that I had no chance to change my predestined path did nothing to lighten my spirit. Rather, it only threw me deeper into my conviction that there was no hope.

"I'd hardly expect to hear that from you," I offered. "You never struck me as the spiritual type."

"Just because I was raised in a circus, that doesn't mean that I wasn't as good a kid as anyone else. My folks to me to church every week before they died, and you can be certain I was in there Sunday after Sunday. I may have hated going to church, but I still went."

"When your folks were…you know, did going stop because of Ba…"

"Yeah, he wasn't really big on having a sidekick who was unavailable for three hours every week. He's got some issues with stuff like that. Over controlling stuff."

This time, his words did make me smile, just a bit. The thought of one of the founding members of the Justice League having control issues about their sidekick going to church was enough to make anyone in their right mind laugh. Of course, the world had ended, so our right minds had disappeared a while back.

"I don't know why you came back for me," I tried to point out gently. "There's nothing I can do against someone like my father. I wouldn't have any power now even if we were going after someone else. I'm useless."

"You will never be useless," he insisted. "And besides, you're a Titan. We don't leave anyone of our own behind."

"You don't get it, Robin," I insisted. "I can't be a Titan. I'm powerless. I'm not even old enough to ride in a car without a booster seat, let alone go after a demon. I can't even…"

"No," he interrupted, "You are valuable. You are important. You are more than just some prophecy. Plus, the prophecy has passed. You're still here. It's your time to choose what you do."

"All I want to do is make this never have happened."

He exhaled slowly. "I get that. I really do. I wish every day that I could go back and save my parents. I could, too. Since my time with Bruce and the Titans, I could take on that scumbag with ease, but we can't go back. The past is the past, and there's nothing we can do to change it. All we can do is hope, and look forward, and keep our eyes open for the obstacles that will pop up."

I lowered my head again. "I don't think I can hope anymore. I'm just out of hope."

"Didn't I tell you that I'd hope for both of us?" He stared at me deeply, a small trace of a smile forming at the edge of his mouth. "I told you the truth. As long as I'm alive, I won't give up hope."

I stood to my short height and wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his stubbly face gently press against my own neck. "Thank you," I whispered. I could feel him gently nod, and I slowly pulled out of his embrace.

He bent down a bitto let me climb onto his shoulders, then stood up, walking for both of us. As we walked towards the door, he suddenly stopped.

"You know what? What if we tried a different approach?" He knelt down again to let me get off. He turned back towards the front of the church, and then smirked down at me.

"What if I was on to something with that comment about the fallen angel earlier? I haven't exactly been on great terms with God since I joined the Titans, but it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

I shrugged dramatically as he grabbed my hand and we walked forward, towards the charred remains of the cross.

"Look, I'm a demon, aren't I," I protested., "Just walking into a church should make me turn to fire and disintegrate or something. Who knows what walking up to the cross will do!"

"But you're still here," He interrupted, smirk unfazed.

"Yes, but…" I grasped for words to protest. "I don't even know how to pray. What if He just rejects me out front for what I am?"

"Well, I'm not the greatest scholar," Robin began, "but I don't remember a demon ever going _back_ to God for forgiveness, let alone a half demon who never rejected him to begin with. Who knows what will happen. As for what to say, just relax and say what pops into your head."

"Say what pops into your head," I repeated half-mockingly. "OK, then. Let's give this a shot."

I took three giant strides towards the cross, and _oh so quietly_ pled my petition. "How could you let this happen?"

OK, I lied. I didn't plead. It wasn't gentle. I screamed my lungs out. Even Robin was cleaning his ear from my shout.

"Uh, maybe you should try being respectful," he suggested.

"Oh," I considered, "Maybe so."

I turned back. "OK, God. Let's try this. OK, well my father is this big scary demon, and he just tore me completely apart to come rule the earth. I know that my dad is like your arch-nemesis, and all, but, well, could you…do something? Like, to help, or something like that?"

I waited for a moment, then turned back to look at Robin. "Any more brilliant ideas?"

His smirk had diminished a bit as he shrugged. "I don't know. What if you tried apologizing or something? I mean, what have you got to lose."

"Apologizing?" If I had any "cool" remaining, I definitely lost it then. "What did I ever do? In the entire time I've known you, I've only tried to do good stuff. I was completely bound by fear to only do what would offset the destruction I brought today. What would I need to _apologize_ for?"

Robin backed up a step, surprised at my outburst. "Look, I'm not saying you were trying to do bad stuff, but it's just that everyone has screwed up, no matter who or what you are."

"Fine." I sighed, and turned back to the front. "Look, God, I know that I've messed up. I get that. Can you, forgive me or something?"

I felt Robin's gaze, and squirmed uncomfortably as I waited for the booming voice.

It never came.

The church began to tremble a bit, as if my monster of a father had began playing hopscotch a few yards away. But it wasn't my father. It was God, but he wasn't in that earthquake.

The ground began to heat up, and through the broken windows of the church I could see flames all around us, licking up the remnants of glass on the ground. It wasn't my father breathing fire at us, though. It was God, but he wasn't in that fire.

Finally, after the fire and earthquake had slowly died away, what came was a small whisper of a wind, gently picking up my hair, and playfully tossing it in the breeze. It whooshed all around our clothing, and gently kissed my forehead with its playful dance.

I felt the whisper dance around my ear, and I could just barely make out a voice speaking deep into me. "Today, you have become my child, and I have truly become your Father."

A knot that I didn't realize was there started to tighten deep within my abdomen. I could feel it constricting in apprehension and resistance as the wind whipped up around me, and began to spin quickly.

"Robin?" I asked nervously.

"Shhh," He quieted my apprehension, shielding his eyes from a now blinding light filling the room. "Just focus."

I closed my eyes, ignoring the wild cyclone spinning around me, and felt my feet leave the ground as I floated up. It felt so different from my powers, not drawing on my concentration in the dark force, but off of the breeze itself. It lifted me up higher, and I could feel as my robe and suit were instantaneously replaced by something whose brightness shone like the blinding light that filled the room. I could sense it beyond my sight, and it shone through my closed eyes to touch my very soul. It seemed like my whole body had remained unchanged, but something felt as if it now warmly stretched across the many incisions in my heart. The knot inside me suddenly unraveled, and before I knew it, I was on the ground.

"Raven, are you OK?" Robin ran up to check on me, surprise filling his voice as he saw my new form.

I smiled. "I'm great, Robin. I feel so whole."

He grasped my hand strongly, and I did the same, content to know that we were in the fight together, all the way to the end. His other hand reached up as well, gathering both of mine into his grasp.

"Today," He smiled the first true smile I can remember seeing on his face. "Today, everything changes."

Robin walked slightly in front of me, ready for us to jump into the battle.

"We're going down!" I could hear Beast Boy screaming. Robin clamored up onto the slab of concrete in front of us, but I stayed slightly behind him. As Cyborg and Starfire fired their cannon and starbolts respectively, Robin jumped out with a few of his explosive disks.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted joyfully.

"Dude, you're alive!" Beast Boy chorused. Robin allowed his tiny trademark smirk to flash, despite the eminent danger, and he turned back to look at me. I took that as my cue to step forward.

"Raven!" Cyborg breathed. I didn't realize just how different I looked and felt until his whisper pointed it out.

"Hey guys," I tried to smile, but my face didn't quite have enough practice to pull it off. Even still, both the originals and the evil copies were shocked to see me with such an expression on my face. I could see the duplicates shying away from me a bit, even more than the rest.

Robin noticed this as well, and looked at the rest of his team. "Everybody ready?" They all nodded in approval. He looked down at me. "Do you think you can fight?"

I nodded. "I guess we'll find out."

He too nodded in approval before looking back to the rest of the team. "Alright. Titans, Go!"

Beast Boy transformed into a pterodactyl, carrying Cyborg with him towards Trigon, who appeared to be drawing in the sky. Starfire picked Robin up to carry him towards the demon as well. I gently tested my strength, before realizing that I was definitely more powerful than before. I just had to figure out how to harness the power…

"God," I awkwardly prayed, "Please don't let me screw up too badly."

I jumped into the air, and white dove-like energy wings leapt out of my mind to let me soar over towards Trigon.

Before we could ever reach him, though, a figure suddenly came from nowhere to slash a double-ended axe across his face. Trigon roared in pain as Slade jumped down in front of him, not pausing before he began slashing at the giant's legs and feet. Trigon began kicking wildly at the man in front of him, until one of the swings finally connected with the man, and he was flung backwards towards the lava. I altered my course to intercept him.

"OK, here goes," I whispered. I could feel that I didn't need to say my spells anymore; the power just flowed naturally through me like a conduit. I probed deep within myself, and a sheet of white energy formed underneath Slade before he fell into the lava. I setn him over towards the rest of the city before continuing out to out ruined home to back up my friends.

By now, Beast Boy was flying wildly, trying to avoid the angry shots being blasted by the demon, while Robin was planting an enormous amount of mines all over Trigon's body, and Starfire was still firing angrily into the demon's eyes. They all backed away at Robin's cue, and the entire red mass suddenly detonated violently.

A massive cloud of smoke now occupied the entire island where our tower once was. I could sense that my friends were safe, but also knew that their attacks hadn't done any damage to the immortal demon. I caught all of them, then set them over near where I put Slade down.

"I need to do this myself," I projected to them. I could sense Robin nodding at me in approval, and I advanced on the demon.

"So, my own daughter has come to try and stop me. How pathetic." Trigon spat.

"You are not my father." I corrected as I sped towards him. "Fathers are _kind_. Fathers _care_ for their children. Fathers _love_ their children. Did you ever show me _patience_? _Kindness_? _Respect_? _No!_ I was only the byproduct of a helpless woman you _raped_, who you decided to use as a tool for evil on a whim. You are _not_ my father. My Father _loves_ me, and _you are not him_!"

As I accentuated each word, I struck him with a wide beam of energy, till at last I reached the climax of my monologue, and I prayed deep. "Please help me to send him back!"

I struck out in a massive burst of energy, and as I did so, I could sense a shift in my energy, much like my old projections. Instead of a bird, though, I saw a Winged Lion emerge, grasping the demon, and throwing him _through_ the very earth. I knew that in some way it was my power-base, but it was far greater than what I could ever do. I heard the Winged Lion roar, the sound restoring the world to its former state. I fell to the ground, exhausted, but satisfied.

"Thank you," I prayed, no louder than a whisper. The black at the edges of my vision slowly covered over my eyes.

My friends finally found me after Starfire and Beast Boy flew them back to our island. I didn't wake up for a couple of hours, and after I did, I locked myself in my room. I spent a long time praying and thanking my Father, my real Father for my change. I had left a life of being an incarnation of evil to truly become a child of God. During my seclusion, I only left my room for brief meals and bathroom breaks, avoiding my teammates cautiously. I still hadn't talked to them about my change, and I was in no hurry to do so. After a few days, I decided to venture into the commons area during the daytime for a change, and actually talk to my friends.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing video games, while Robin and Starfire were…cooking? That couldn't end well. Putting aside my doubts, I cleared my throat.

"Hey everyone," I shouted a little louder than I anticipated. They looked up, startled for me to suddenly appear so loudly.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire tackled me in a hug. "The congratulations are in order"

Beast Boy glommed onto us awkwardly. "Raven, you're back!" He shouted right in my ear. I frowned, and shoved both of them off me before gingerly rubbing my ear.

Cyborg looked away from my little scene to go back to the game. "Yup, it's her alright." I rolled my eyes. "Good to have you back, by the way."

"Thanks Cyborg." I called, already drowned out by the game. Oh well. I know he heard me. He's just too engrossed to respond again.

Shaking my head, I smiled at my friends. I was lucky to have such amazing people around to support me.

"Friend Raven," Starfire asked cautiously, "You earlier mentioned you might partake of the painting of the toenails with me…"

I smiled. "Sure, I'll still do that."

Starfire hugged me again. I awkwardly patted her on the back, not quite sure what to do while she squeezed the life out of me.

Suddenly, the alarm rang out. A maniacal man with poorly designed gauntlets was seen busting into a bank.

"The Control Freak?" Starfire questioned. We didn't stop to watch further, Robin just rushed us out to the city. We quietly took up positions around the bank, and waited for the obese man to emerge.

He flipped out when he saw us. "How did you get here so fast?" Then he eyed me. "By the way, nice costume change, Raven. White looks amazing on you. Pretty hot, if I do say so myself. Why, I could…"

"Perv," I muttered, whacking him across the face with an energy bolt. The others looked at me, a bit shocked at my sudden move.

"What?" I asked innocently. "You think I'm going to wait for him to call me Angel or some crap like that?" Without another word, I hopped down from the ledge I was perched on to reach out, and start dragging him towards the police station. The others just shrugged, and strolled next to me, as if I wasn't bringing bank robber with me. I smirked a bit after realizing how ridiculous we looked.

"So can _I _call you Angel now?" Beast Boy smirked evilly. I whacked him on the head with an energy beam. "Shut up!" He rubbed his head gingerly, but I'm pretty sure he saw the smile forming on my face. "Not a chance."


End file.
